How to care about your sexual health if you are a lesbian woman
Sexual health is a particularly important aspect of personal healthcare for lesbians. Knowing how to manage it and properly look after yourself is vital for women of all ages. To protect yourself and your partner, being aware and vigilant on this topic is mutually beneficial at all times.
Things lesbians should discuss with their health care providers
It is not just contraception that people discuss with healthcare providers. There are many elements to cover which provide crucial information for both yourself in terms of learning how to care for yourself and for the providers who will use your answers to guide you along the right path with specific pointers. Don’t assume anything; if you are unsure, just ask. As with all medical situations, there are no silly questions, and the people on the other end will no doubt have heard it all before and be knowledgeable and experienced enough to deal with whatever you ask.
Don’t get too comfortable or offer hugely intricate details unless it is requested by the provider for a valid reason. Remember why you are doing this and try not to get carried away as if you are chatting with your girls or gossiping away on social media, for example. All girls you know will confirm that playful lesbian chat room conversations are going to be vastly different from those you have with your health care providers, but there are lots in common with online dating and visiting a doctor. The rules are simple – be polite, keep things appropriate but ensure you do not shy away from uncomfortable questions regarding private matters, even if they are intimate and embarrassing. Asking your online dating partner about them having STDs is completely normal when you’re at the point of a relationship when you must know the answer and let them know about your concerns and why you have them
But with the doctor, you should lighten the load, and even if you are talking about yourself, just word it differently to save you the shame. For example, ‘My friend swears she got STI from fingerplay. Her girlfriend believes her, but I can’t convince her no matter what. What should I do?’. No, this places emphasis on the provider to give you an answer to the question that you want answering but by referring to ‘your friend.’ This is less humiliating for you and probably easier for them to answer more openly and speak honestly when responding to what could be perceived as a stupid question.
Learn about your potential partner’s health while chatting with them
During, before, or even after a lesbian hookup might not seem the ideal time to discuss each other’s sexual health, but it is exactly the conversation you should be having with anyone you sleep with. Granted, there is a time and a place for such conversations, and it is fair to say that asking ‘do you have any STI’s?’ on a first date may not be the way to guarantee a second date, but it’s important to know. As we noted before, explain to your lady where does this question comes from, and everything should be okay.
Without being so direct and adopting a more subtle approach, you may be able to gauge where your date’s head is in terms of attitude towards sexual health. With the right line of questioning, you will be able to piece together enough information to make a judgment call. Not all pictures we paint in our minds are accurate, but being friendly and inquisitive rather than nosey and invasive could well be the chance to get the information you want without being rude or abrupt about it in the infancy of your relationship with your date.
Make your health care a priority
Want to know how to explain to your lesbian friend why you need to know that she’s healthy before going at it? Here it is: one of the main rules for any couple, straight or gay, is that sexual health can have horrible consequences if it is not treated as a priority. The nasty diseases and infections that can accompany sexual activity can get really messy and extremely painful. Managing them is essential, but preventing them will always be the better option. Protect yourself before ever having to mend yourself at all times when it comes to your sexual health. Your genitals can suffer irreparable damage as a result of sexual negligence, which may affect the rest of your life. This can be detrimental to your daily existence, not just your future sex life. Things such as going to the toilet can become an irritant that, on a consistent basis, will be soul-destroying.
Conclusion
Taking precautions, being sensible, and not getting too carried away with things are all paramount to being sexually healthy. All girls can all get caught up in the heat of the moment, of course, and mistakes will happen. Nobody is ever going to justifiably claim to be perfect or consistently make rational decisions in normal circumstances, let alone when drunk, high, and in this case, sexually aroused.
As a lesbian, there are different sexual problems to deal with than other orientations and personal preferences, but there are many you share with the rest of the sexual world. The most important aspect is being upfront and honest with what you know and what you don’t. Ask questions about everything! If you don’t know if you need to do thighs differently with penetration as opposed to stimulation, then check with your partner first.
